Foundation Fighting Blindness Announces Leadership Changes
The Foundation Fighting Blindness announced the promotions of Jason Menzo to chief executive officer of the Foundation, and Russell Kelley, PhD, MBA, to managing director of the Retinal Degeneration (RD) Fund, the venture arm of the Foundation, effective July 1, 2022. Ben Yerxa, PhD, who has served as CEO of the Foundation since 2017, will be transitioning to assume the permanent CEO position for Opus Genetics, the first spin-off company internally conceived and launched by the RD Fund to further the Foundation's mission.
Jason Menzo; Russell Kelley, PhD, MBA and Ben Yerxa, PhD | Foundation Fighting Blindness and RD Fund
"I'm exceptionally proud of the progress we've made toward our mission during my nearly 5 years at the Foundation, including the launch of the RD Fund to further the Foundation's mission through venture philanthropy," said Dr. Yerxa. "Stepping into the permanent CEO role at Opus Genetics – a company that we created and launched through the RD Fund – enables me to be on the front line of bringing potentially life-changing treatments to the patients who so urgently need them."
"We thank Ben for his incredible service to the Foundation. He was the right person at the right time for the Foundation, and we are pleased that he will stay close to the organization as he leads Opus Genetics. We look forward to working with Jason and Rusty in their new roles as CEO of the Foundation and managing director of the RD Fund, respectively," said David Brint, chairman of the Foundation board of directors and member of the RD Fund board of directors. "Jason and Rusty each have the expertise and the confidence of their teams, patients, and the boards to build upon the current direction and strategies to propel the work of each organization forward."
Since joining the Foundation in 2018, Mr. Menzo has had a profound impact on redefining the nonprofit's operations and engagement, including fiscal, fundraising, outreach, communications, and managerial operations. He is recognized by colleagues and constituents for his passionate leadership style and ability to create innovative partnerships. In addition to being involved in the formation of the RD Fund, Mr. Menzo is one of the founders of Opus Genetics. Mr. Menzo was elevated to the role of president and chief operating officer of the Foundation in January 2022. Prior to the Foundation, he spent nearly 20 years in various leadership positions in the eye care industry, and intimately understands the space, and key players in it.
"We're grateful for Ben's leadership in advancing therapies to address retinal disease and highlighting the patient voice – both during his tenure at the Foundation and RD Fund, as well as throughout his more than 3-decade career translating research into clinical-stage and commercial products for the eye," said Mr. Menzo. "This is the beauty of the venture philanthropy model that we've pioneered with the RD Fund. We can collaborate closely, identify needs and respond seamlessly to advance the shared missions of our organizations to make a meaningful difference in the lives of those in our community. I am honored to carry this momentum forward for the Foundation, together with Rusty at the helm of the RD Fund, and our respective management teams."
Dr. Kelley helped launch the RD Fund and has been instrumental in building a portfolio of novel technologies, including genetic medicines. He is a pharmacologist who brings over 25 years of experience advancing life science technologies to his new leadership role. Dr. Kelley most recently served as the RD Fund's senior vice president of investments and alliances, responsible for identifying and managing external investment opportunities.
"I am grateful for the opportunity to lead the RD Fund to connect capital, particularly from affected donors, with novel technologies and therapeutics with the potential to address underserved, inherited, and rare retinal degenerative diseases," said Dr. Kelley. "Our venture model, with anchor donors Gordon Gund and Paul Manning, has catalyzed the development of patient-supported companies, including Opus Genetics, Atsena Therapeutics, Nacuity Pharmaceuticals, Vedere Bio, and SparingVision, seed-funded by the RD Fund and previously supported by the Foundation. We look forward to elevating existing and new ventures aiming to bring life-changing outcomes to people with retinal diseases."